


Broken Dreams

by NCISVU



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Series, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 09:10:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4913608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NCISVU/pseuds/NCISVU
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Jethro wanted was to be left alone to enjoy a quiet breakfast and wallow in self-pity but Tony’s never been one to take a hint and his persistence changes both of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the job-related trauma prompt on my hurt/comfort bingo card and it's a little outside the box. It's a mix between an AU and pre-series story. It also has a bit of a cheesy romance novel feel. There’s no Shannon or Kelly, never was. Jethro’s a young Marine and Tony’s… well, Tony’s not a cop (yet?).

Tony casually sipped his coffee, watching curiously as a man, clearly younger but looking worn and twice his age, struggled to get out of his pickup truck then limped up the stairs and into the diner. He wondered briefly why someone who looked so young and fit was having so much trouble walking but if his haircut and posture were anything to go by, the guy was in the military.

Or at least he had been.

Tony didn't know much about military protocol but he knew there were strict physical requirements and the guy could barely make it from his truck to a table. Running, push-ups and sit-ups were out of the question.

"I can help you with that," he said as the man approached his table.

Jethro paused and looked at down at the man who'd made the cocky declaration. He looked a few years younger than himself but he hadn't been aged by war and conflict. The Marine was so busy wallowing in self-pity that he didn't respond to the unappreciated interruption.

"Your knee," Tony continued, undeterred by the harsh glare. "I can get you moving again."

"I move just fine," Jethro said, speaking for the first time.

“Stubborn,” Tony observed. “I like it. Stubbornness and determination are good qualities to have when you’re recovering from an injury.”

Jethro looked from his knee back to the stranger and in his bitterness over his situation, he wanted nothing more than to prove the guy wrong and wipe the confident expression right off his face. Maybe, deep inside, there was a part of him that was desperate to believe the man but he was too stubborn to acknowledge that.

“I’m Tony,” Tony introduced. “I’m an athletic trainer for the Washington Nationals. Well, I was. Now I’m a personal trainer. I’ve see a lot of busted up knees in my time.”

“And you think you can fix mine, even before knowing what’s wrong?”

“Maybe not fix,” Tony answered honestly, “but I can definitely help you get some mobility back and work with you on the pain.”

“There’s no pain.”

Tony laughed outright at the blatant lie.

“The pain doesn’t bother me,” Jethro corrected.

“Well, maybe I can make it bother you even less,” Tony replied. He pulled a very simple yet professional looking business card out of his wallet and offered it to Jethro. “Think about it. You can call or text me any time, day or night.”

Jethro studied the card for a moment before accepting it and continuing on to his favorite booth in the back of the diner, his mouth watering at the rich aromas of breakfasts that reminded him of Saturday mornings before his mother had taken her life.

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

Jethro couldn’t help but wonder why he’d ever agreed to meeting up with the man from diner as he walked towards the gym Tony worked at. Making a point didn’t seem quite as important anymore. It felt more like he was setting himself up for failure.

He made it halfway between the front door and his car when he decided to turn around and just go home but before he could, Tony was at his side, greeting him in the same cheerful, confident way he had in the diner. For some reason it didn’t seem as obnoxious as it had in the diner. This time Tony’s chatty nature and ease with people put Jethro at ease, despite the gruff look on his face.

“You ready to do this, Marine?”

Tony’s voice couldn’t hide how excited he was which was a direct contrast to the almost threatening look on Jethro’s face.

“Relax,” Tony encouraged, “I wasn’t stalking you. I can tell by the way you carry yourself that you’re a military man and your shirt says USMC.”

Jethro looked down at the front of his shirt and found the bold, black letters standing out, identifying him as one of the few and proud. He grunted in acknowledgement and tried to let himself relax and be open to whatever Tony had planned for him.

“So, are you ever gonna tell me your name or should I just keep calling you ‘guy from the diner’ and ‘Marine’?” Tony teased.

For the first time, Jethro realized he’d never introduced himself at the diner and when he’d called to set up the appointment he’d only identified himself as the guy from the diner. “Jethro,” he replied.

“Let’s do this, Jethro.”

Tony gave Jethro a quick tour of the gym as he headed for the employee break room to drop his duffle off and then the locker room in case Jethro wanted to bring a gym bag in the future and then they settled in a back office. Jethro glanced around the mostly bare walls, fidgeting nervously and trying not to listen in to the conversation one of the other trainers was having with their client on the other side of the temporary wall in the small office.

“We all wish we had a little more privacy,” Tony commented as he clicked through a few screens on the computer. “You okay talking in here or I can go kick somebody else off another computer in another office.”

“This is fine,” Jethro said.

The two spent some time getting to know each other, Tony asking questions and Jethro answering. They went over his medical history and his knee injury before going over his goals and creating a rough timeline. It was a process Tony’s job had all laid out for them to go through but Tony made it feel like more than that. By the time they were done, Jethro felt like Tony cared and was genuinely invested in his future.

After going through several questions on the computer, Tony looked at, felt and moved Jethro’s knee around, letting the man’s body tell him everything he needed to know. The hopeful expression on Tony’s face and encouraging tone in his voice gave Jethro hope. Without even realizing it, the Marine relaxed and started to trust Tony with something huge: his future.

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

It had been quite some time since Jethro had felt so high on life. He was happily practicing some of the therapeutic exercises Tony had showed him, feeling more hopeful than he had since before he’d first tried to walk after his injury when his phone rang. He grabbed it quickly, wondering if it was Tony calling to check on him again but sobered when he realized it was his CO.

An hour later he was in his perfectly pressed uniform and his spit-shined boots, standing at attention in front of the man who held his future in his hands.

“We can’t put it off any longer, Gunny,” the man informed him. “Your final fitness-for-duty eval is scheduled for two weeks from today.”

“Understood, Sir,” Jethro replied, although he wasn’t happy about it at all. Even after working with Tony several days over the past two weeks, two more weeks wasn’t enough time.

“I don’t need to remind you what’s at stake, Jethro,” the man said, softening his tone, “but you can only do what you can do.”

Jethro’s expression soured at the attempted consolation but he remained silent, knowing anything that came out of his mouth would end up being disrespectful and might end in a reprimand. He reminded himself how lucky he was to have one more opportunity. His previous exam hadn’t gone so well and it had taken a lot of convincing to persuade his superiors to give him one final chance. If he hadn’t been such a good Marine, he would already be a civilian. “Will that be all, Sir?”

“Yeah, Gunny. You’re dismissed.”

Jethro nodded, saluted, and left.

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

Despite the deadline looming over his head, Jethro felt more confident the fifth time he walked towards the gym. Tony had a way of putting him at ease and opening him up with his effortless humor and charm. The man was funny and fun to be around but it was easy to see the care in his eyes and hear the authenticity in his voice. On top of that, he really knew what he was doing. Jethro’s knee had never felt better.

The Marine would never admit to it being more than that, though and he most certainly wouldn’t admit to putting a little more effort into picking out his gym shorts and the tee he had on or making sure he didn’t just smell good but good enough to leave an impression.He’d gone from just trying to get his knee healed up enough he could get back in the field to actually looking forward to seeing Tony again.

Tingles spread through his body at the memory of the other man’s hands on him, touching and exploring, easing his aches and fears with long, skillful fingers and strong hands. He was in such a daze from the memories that he almost ran into the woman hurrying out of the gym. He stepped past the woman, excusing himself as he did and entered the gym.

“Come on back, Gunny!” Tony called from the small office they’d met in each of the previous times. Tony was easily one of the loudest people in the gym which was sometimes awkward for Jethro who preferred to not draw any attention to himself and his perceived weakness.

Jethro headed for the small office and settled in the same chair he’d sat in several times before.

“How’ve you been?” Tony asked as he did what he needed to do to get Jethro checked in. “Still practicing the exercises I showed you?”

“Every day,” Jethro answered.

“Good,” Tony replied. “Just don’t overdo it. Your muscles need a chance to relax and heal too.”

“Okay,” Jethro replied.

“How are you feeling right now? Any soreness?”

“I feel like I’m always sore,” Jethro answered, surprising even himself with his openness and honesty. “Kinda tight I guess. I’m not sure how to explain it.”

“I’ll stretch you when we’re done working out today,” Tony said. “I think that’ll help. You ready to get to this?”

“Ready as I’m ever gonna be,” Jethro answered with a healthy dose of excitement and anxiety.

Tony took Jethro through a series of exercises that helped him with his flexibility and range of motion as well as worked on rebuilding strength. They weren’t very far into the session when Tony picked up on the fact that something was bothering Jethro.

“Everything okay today?”

“Yeah,” Jethro answered as confidently as he could manage.

Tony studied the man for a moment longer before smiling gently at him and stopping the exercise they were in the middle of. “You’re lying.”

Jethro broke eye contact and turned his head away. After a long, almost awkward silence he spoke. “My CO called me in. I only have two weeks before my final fitness-for-duty evaluation.” He glanced back at Tony and saw the worry on the man’s face.

“That’s not a lot of time, Jethro, but I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”

“I know,” Jethro replied. “I’m just worried. I mean, it’s all I’ve ever known. The Marines are all I’ve got.”

“Not anymore!” Tony replied as perky as ever but not disrespectful in the least. “You’ve got me now, Jethro. You can only live one day at a time. Spending your whole life worrying isn’t gonna get you anywhere.”

 _‘That’s easy for you to say,’_ was all Jethro could think but he chose to ignore the statement. He couldn’t, however, ignore the feeling of warmth spreading across his chest at Tony’s declaration of friendship.

The two continued their workout, the conversation turning to lighter, happier topics. Tony enjoyed the challenge of trying to break through the seemingly impenetrable front that Jethro had put up and Jethro found it enjoyable to spend time with Tony. The good looking, muscled trainer who could probably make big bucks in the private sector from rich housewives and cute coeds was down to earth, funny and genuine and actually wanted nothing to do with exterior beauty and false personas.

Once they’d finished the exercises Tony had planned out for Jethro, the two headed over to an area of the gym where there were thickly padded mats on the floor.

“Lie down,” Tony instructed as he grabbed a few items. “On your back.”

“We gonna wrestle?” Jethro asked without thinking.

“Maybe when you’re knee’s feeling better,” Tony replied, shooting a smile at the man over his shoulder. He put the couple things he’d gathered on the floor next to Jethro then knelt beside him, moved the man’s body into position and started stretching his legs.

Jethro resisted the urge to shriek and move Tony’s hands away but he couldn’t stop his body from tensing even more.

“Relax,” Tony instructed, “try not to fight me, Jethro. I know it’s uncomfortable but I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

“Ow,” Jethro groaned.

“I know,” Tony said sympathetically. “This is gonna help with your flexibility which will help with your overall movement.”

Jethro reached out and wrapped his hand around Tony’s arm, holding onto the man as he worked on him.

“It’s okay,” Tony reminded the man softly, watching Jethro carefully to make sure he didn’t push the man too far.

Jethro closed his eyes against the discomfort and let Tony do whatever he was going to do him.

Tony looked over the man’s body, watching as muscles strained and loosened beneath his fingers and taking extra caution with the man’s busted up knee. “You still with me?” he asked when he was done.

“I think so,” Jethro replied, breathing heavily as his body attempted to relax.

“Good. On your side, Marine,” Tony ordered playfully. “I’m gonna foam roll you and then we’re done.”

“Foam roll?”

“Yeah, it’s like a deep tissue massage. I’m gonna use this super fat, super firm pool noodle looking thing and roll it over your muscles to release the tension, work out the knots and tight spots and get the blood flowing again. It’s kinda like a meat tenderizer for your muscles.”

“That’s not disturbing or anything,” Jethro joked.

“I know,” Tony replied with a laugh, “but you look terrified. I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit.”

“This is all new for me,” Jethro said.

“I know,” Tony said. He smiled softly at the man and handed him a small, fat pad that felt a bit like extremely expensive memory foam. “Put this between your legs, between your knees.”

Jethro obeyed, letting himself relax as Tony moved him into position, bending his top knee slightly before squatting over him.

“I ever tell you the story behind me becoming a trainer?” Tony asked as he began rolling the foam roller over Jethro’s outer thigh.

Jethro was still wrapped up in Tony’s incredibly close proximity and curious about what the man was doing to him until Tony applied the slightest amount of pressure and nearly reduced him to tears. “Fuck!” he growled.

“I know,” Tony replied sympathetically. “It hurts like hell but it’s gonna help you heal. Your muscles are really tight. This’ll help a lot.”

Sweat formed on Jethro’s brow and he clenched his fists tightly as Tony slowly worked the foam roller down his thigh, adding more pressure when he came to a knot but never letting up very much.

“What’s the story behind you becoming a trainer?” Jethro asked. He needed the distraction and he was genuinely interested.

“I went to college on a basketball scholarship,” Tony answered, paying close attention to what he was doing. “I had to get a degree so I went for physical education but that didn’t matter because I was gonna be a basketball player. It was all I knew, all I ever wanted to be. The degree was just semantics.” He paused long enough to get Jethro turned over and he started on the other leg.

“All that changed when I broke my leg during a big game,” Tony continued. “And it wasn’t even a basketball game. I was playing football. In the blink of an eye I had a broken leg and my career, my future, the only thing I’d ever known, hoped for or dreamed about was gone. When you say the Marines are all you’ve got and all you’ve ever known, I understand that, Jethro. I know the fear that comes with an uncertain future but life is all about change. Without change there’s no growth and you never know what you can accomplish.”

Jethro let the words sink in while Tony finished up. The conversation had proved to be a welcomed distraction from the painful process Tony was taking him through.

When Tony was done he patted Jethro’s thigh, stood and offered the man a hand up. Jethro accepted the hand and was surprised when Tony pulled him to his feet with ease.

“Do you think I’ll be ready in two weeks?” Jethro asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

“I don’t know,” Tony answered honestly, “but I’m gonna do my damnedest to make it happen. And you better get used to being foam rolled 'cause that's gonna be one of the fastest, most effective ways to help your muscles and reinforce the exercises we're doing.”

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

The more Jethro and Tony worked together, the closer they grew. It wasn’t long before fingers meant for positioning and guiding started causing sparks of excitement and the athletic shorts Jethro wore to hide certain parts of his body weren’t doing a very good job of hiding much of anything.

As Jethro's fitness-for-duty evaluation approached entirely too fast, Tony found himself not wanting to say goodbye to the man, despite knowing he would have to if Jethro was cleared. As their final session came to a close, Tony decided he just wasn't ready to watch the man walk out the door for good yet.

"You better let me know how things go tomorrow," Tony said firmly.

"You'll be the first to know," Jethro promised him. It wasn't like he had anyone else to tell anyways. Jethro opened his mouth to say something else but closed it without saying anything. He glanced over at Tony and decided to speak up after all. "Hey, do you wanna have breakfast with me at the diner tomorrow morning?"

Tony readily accepted the invitation but decided to up the ante before Jethro left and the opportunity was gone. "Do you have a hot tub?"

"No," Jethro answered, slightly confused.

"I was just thinking, a good soak in a hot tub tonight, before your big eval tomorrow would do your knee a lot of good. You could, uh, check into a hotel or something and use theirs." He hesitated, studying the man for a moment and then continued. "We could go together, split the bill."

Jethro let his eyes travel down Tony's body as a smile crossed his face. "I'd like that. Pick you up here after work?"

"That works. I get off at six tonight."

"See ya then."

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

After picking Tony up from work, Jethro headed for his favorite hole in the wall pizza shop to pick up the two pizzas he'd ordered for dinner. There was already a six pack of beer on the floorboard, by Tony's feet. Jethro didn't plan on drinking very much before his evaluation the following day but one or two wouldn't hurt and there was no reason Tony couldn't drink.

"Just so you know," Tony said, "I don't usually do this. I've never done it before. Whatever does or doesn't happen, it'll be real, not some game I play."

"I know," Jethro said. "How many hours have we spent together over the past month? I think I've gotten to know you pretty well."

"I just wanted to make sure," Tony said. "I like to lay it all on the table that way no one's expectations are shattered or needs aren't met."

"Let's just have fun tonight," Jethro said. "I'm okay with whatever does or doesn't happen. No pressure."

Tony smiled over at the man and the two settled into an easy conversation about nothing in particular. The hotel was one of the nicer ones in town and their room was the honeymoon suite, the only option that had a hot tub in the room.

After changing into their swimming shorts, Jethro the ones he'd packed and Tony the ones he'd run home on his lunch break to get, the two filled the hot tub and enjoyed their dinner in the warm, bubbling water.

"You nervous about tomorrow?" Tony asked as they ate.

"Not really," Jethro answered, surprising even himself. "I think I'm at peace with whatever happens. It is what it is. I gave it my all and if it doesn't happen then it just wasn't meant to be."

"I'm gonna miss you if you go," Tony admitted.

"I'll miss you too but we can keep in touch."

"And meet up when you get back," Tony offered.

"I'd like that."

"Me too."

With a not so permanent goodbye looming, the two relaxed even more and enjoyed the rest of their dinner.

"You've got a nice little six pack forming," Tony observed, brushing his fingers across the hard planes of Jethro's abdomen.

"It's all from working out with you," Jethro admitted.

There was a short pause where both men simply watched each other, unsure of what to do now that their dinner was gone.

"I really wanna kiss you," Tony finally admitted.

"What's stopping you?" Jethro asked. "I'm sure you've noticed my boner while we worked out. You know I'm attracted to you."

"Oh yeah," Tony said with a slight chuckle, "I've noticed." He scooted over to Jethro's side of the hot tub, settling between the man's legs and lying against his chest before he started kissing him.

Jethro quickly deepened the kiss which was eagerly received by Tony and immediately reciprocated. His hands found Tony's sides and his fingers played at the firm muscles as the kissing continued.

When it all came to be too much, Tony rolled his hips, grinding his erection against Jethro's without thinking. When Jethro didn't pull back and all Tony felt beneath him was the firmness of the other man's excitement, Tony continued. His lips traveled down Jethro's neck and across his chest to suck one of the man's nipples into his mouth.

"Oh shit," Jethro growled happily. Thanks to a lengthy deployment and his injury, it had been far too long since he'd been with anyone and even better, he really felt a strong connection with Tony.

Tony's hands explored lower, splaying across Jethro's chest and abdomen on the way down before sneaking into his shorts. Jethro rested his hands against Tony's hips, moving the man's body in a way that had him grinding their bodies together.

As the situation quickly became overwhelming, Jethro knew he had to slow them down. "Tony," he said as the other man tugged on his nipple with his teeth. "Tony, it's been a really long time since I've been with anybody. We gotta slow down or we're not gonna get anywhere."

Tony stopped his hips and licked roughly over Jethro's nipple. "Maybe we should move things to the bed," he suggested. "I think we have all night, don't we?"

"We do," Jethro confirmed.

"Then I'm not worried about much," Tony replied, "as long as we both have fun. Are you having fun?"

Jethro moved Tony's hand onto his straining dick in answer to the man's question. "What do you think?"

Tony gave the man's cock a squeeze and smiled at him. "I'm having fun too," he said, planting one more kiss on Jethro's mouth.

The two stood and as soon as they were out of the hot tub, Jethro grabbed onto Tony's wrist and turned the man around in front of him. He didn't break eye contact as his fingers found the waistband of Tony's shorts and he began to peel them off of him.

Once Tony was standing in front of him completely naked, Jethro took a long moment to take in the man's body before removing his own shorts. He reached out and tugged on Tony's dick a few times before using it to lead the man over to the bed.

After retrieving the supplies Jethro had packed just in case, the two climbed into bed and the kissing and touching started all over again.

"I don't think I've ever been this hard, Jethro," Tony said, "and I always get harder after I'm entered."

"I can't wait to see that," Jethro growled.

Tony played with Jethro's dick and sucked on his nipples while the man stretched him then Jethro climbed on top of Tony, rolled a condom over himself and started rubbing himself against Tony's hole, watching as Tony played with himself.

When Jethro was ready, he moved Tony's hand away from his dick then eased into his body. "I wanna watch you grow," he explained.

Both watched the reaction Tony's body had to Jethro's invasion, his dick pulsing and the vein running along the underside becoming more prominent. Jethro ran his finger along its length before playing with the precum steadily oozing out as he picked up the pace. He was beyond excited and there was little that could be done to slow him down.

When Jethro wrapped his hand around Tony's dick and started stroking, Tony's lower back arched up off the bed and his body tensed as excitement grew. Their eyes locked together and they lost themselves in each other as their breathing grew harsh and their movements became erratic.

"I'm not gonna last, Jethro," Tony told the man.

"Don't hold back." Jethro barely managed to get the words out. He thrust his hips with exaggerated movements as his own excitement peaked.

Tony took over jerking himself off and came only seconds after Jethro, while the man continued thrusting wildly into him, heightening his pleasure even more until both of them were completely drained of energy and collapsed together on the bed.

"Long time, huh?" Tony commented.

"Nobody wants to be with a grumpy bastard who's mad at the world," Jethro commented. He nipped at Tony's earlobe causing the man to squirm and moan.

"Mmm," Tony hummed. "That's their loss. They shoulda taken the time to get to know you."

Jethro mouthed Tony's collarbone and suckled on the sensitive skin of his neck, causing Tony to squirm and writhe beneath him. Tony pushed gently against Jethro's head, guiding the man's mouth down to his nipple and groaned audibly when Jethro latched on, his dick already attempting to come to life again.

"I don't usually let people get to know me," Jethro told Tony softly after crawling back up the man's body and pressing another kiss to his lips.

"So, why me?" Tony asked. "How'd I get so lucky?"

Jethro thought for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. Why did he feel such a strong connection to Tony? Why had he felt the freedom to open up to Tony when there were people he'd known for years that he'd never opened up to? "I don't know, Tony," he finally answered.

Tony looked up at Jethro, surprised by the man's laid bare honesty. "Well, I'm glad you picked me. I'm honored that you trusted me."

"Me too."

"Wanna get back in the hot tub for a little while?" Tony asked. "It really will help your knee."

"So, you didn't just invite me to this hotel to get in my pants?" Jethro teased.

"You're onto me," Tony joked, playing along.

Jethro kissed Tony several more times before easing out of his body and rolling off of him. The two got themselves cleaned up then got back into the hot tub.

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

Tony had no idea what time it was when he felt Jethro's lips on his, prodding him awake, and he really didn't care. He mumbled his approval against his lover's lips and started kissing him back as he woke.

"Morning," Jethro mumbled.

"Good morning," Tony replied. "I like waking up like this."

Jethro rubbed his thumb across Tony's cheek and started kissing him again. Tony smiled into the kisses, never remembering a time that he'd been happier.

"Make love to me," Jethro whispered against Tony's lips as he peppered him with kisses.

Tony responded by rolling over on top of Jethro and taking control of the kissing as he ground their budding erections together. He nipped playfully at Jethro's shoulder, carefully avoiding any area that may be seen by the man's superiors later that morning. He left a wet trail up the man's neck to his ear with his tongue and pressed several kisses on the hotspot just behind his ear before pulling back and looking into his eyes.

"I really wanna leave a hickey on your neck," Tony said.

"You can give me one somewhere else," Jethro offered hopefully.

Tony looked over the man's body as he contemplated the offer. He grinned at the man's hair, sloppily styled by his pillow and his grin grew at the adoring eyes staring back at him. He stole another kiss before nuzzling the man's neck and letting his mouth wander to Jethro's nipple. After making sure each received adequate attention, he continued lower and decided on leaving his mark just below his lover's rib cage.

Jethro groaned, his back arching up off the bed in pleasure at the love bite. He pushed his hips up, putting even more pressure on their erections wedged between their bodies as Tony suckled against his skin. They would have to wait until the sun came up to admire Tony’s work but both were sure the man now proudly bore his mark.

The lube landed on the bed next to Tony and he refocused on his task. He settled between his lover's legs and squirted a small amount of lube onto his fingers as he eyed his prize hungrily. He touched and teased, played and stretched and prepared Jethro's body with care, ease and skill that had the man eagerly anticipating what was coming next.

"Do it, Tony," Jethro urged.

Tony spread himself out on top of Jethro, lying flat against him and the kissing started once again. Jethro raised his legs, groaning in pleasure as Tony started grinding against him again. After several minutes of grinding, Tony reached over onto the nightstand and retrieved a condom. He rolled it on then guided himself into Jethro's body, wrapped his hand around his lover's dick and started pumping as he eased in and out, pushing in farther and farther each time.

"Fuck, you feel good," Tony moaned.

"You feel better," Jethro countered.

Tony grinned as he settled into a rhythm. "So, do you have any secret talents in bed?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and find out," Jethro answered cryptically.

"I like the idea of that," Tony growled.

Tony's hand moved from Jethro's dick to his balls, fondling and cradling them before roughing them up just enough to raise Jethro's excitement level.

Jethro traced a finger down the center of Tony's perfectly toned torso to where their bodies met then started stroking his dick while Tony continued playing with his ball sack.

As much as Tony wanted to pull out and sit on the firm dick standing at attention and leaking constantly, he was also enjoying fucking the man's tight hole and making him writhe and squirm as little noises of pure pleasure came out of his mouth.

"There's so much I wanna do to you," Tony said, "do with you."

"Trust me," Jethro replied, "I know." He had a healthy list of things he wanted to do both to and with Tony as well.

Tony took over stroking the man's cock, watching the different effects each move had on him and thoroughly enjoying the noises he was getting out him. He released the man's dick long enough to raise his hips and settle his lover more in his lap than on the bed, dramatically changing the angle he was pushing in at then continued stoking Jethro's cock.

The added pressure on his prostate and skillful stimulation on his dick had Jethro going wild with excitement.

His breathing faltered as he grabbed for his ball sack and began tugging on it. He thrust into Tony's hand, letting the man work him over as if they'd been lifelong lovers and when Tony quickened his pace, he suspected the man was as close as he was. Jethro reached out and fingered one of Tony's nipples at the last second as they both lost control and exploded into and onto each other.

Tony continued stroking Jethro's throbbing cock and thrusting his into the man's body, squeezing every last drop out of both of them before he finally, reluctantly stopped, pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to him.

"Best wakeup call ever," Tony mumbled happily.

Jethro nuzzled Tony's cheek before lightly kissing it, still wrapped up in the peaceful, post-orgasmic bliss. "Shower and then breakfast?" he asked.

"I just wanna lay here with you a little longer. Do we have time for that?"

"Yeah, it's still early. I wasn't sure how hungry you were."

"Not hungry enough to interrupt this moment."

Two hours later they'd showered, enjoyed a hearty breakfast and Jethro was standing in front of Tony in his uniform while Tony made sure everything was crisp, clean and straight.

"Don't be nervous," Tony told the man, his hands resting on Jethro's chest. "You've come a long way in the last two weeks."

"We'll see if it's far enough," Jethro replied. There was no denying his nervousness and there was certainly no hiding it.

"I have one last thing for you before you go. I think it'll help."

"Yeah, what's that?"

Tony leaned in closer and smiled reassuringly at the man. "A kiss for good luck."

"That's just what I need," Jethro said before kissing the man back with fervor.

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

"Don't give up now, Cindy," Tony said excitedly. "You got this!"

"Ugh," the woman groaned, "I don't know if I can."

"Your body is strong, it's your mind that wants to give up. Don’t give in. You can do it."

Tony's attention was focused on his client, making sure the woman was keeping the proper form and moving properly but his mind was with Jethro, wondering and worrying about how his appointment was going.

"Alright," Tony said when the woman had finished that set of exercises, "good job, Cindy. We have one more thing and then you'll be done." He realized the woman was looking beyond him rather than at him and turned to see what she was looking at. "Jethro," he said in surprise when he turned and found the man standing behind him. One look at the man and his heart dropped. Even worse was the sound of defeat in Jethro’s voice when he whispered Tony’s name.

A hand on Tony's arm brought his attention back to his client. "We can finish some other time, Tony," Cindy said, her voice oozing both kindness and concern.

Tony looked back and forth between Jethro and Cindy, unsure of what to do and where to focus his attention. "I'll give you a free session next time we meet, Cindy," he told the woman. "Thank you."

"You just do what you need to do," the woman replied sympathetically. "It's okay, really."

"I'll make it up to you," Tony promised.

After Cindy left, Tony turned his attention back to Jethro. He hoped he'd turn around and see that the man was okay, that it had all been some sort of horrible joke but Jethro had the same devastated expression on his face. Tony grabbed the man's hand and led him to the back office where they met when Jethro came for a session only to discover the office was occupied by other trainers and clients.

He turned them around and headed towards the break room, smiling and nodding at others he knew as he walked past them but groaning when he opened the break room door and found one of his coworkers in there.

"Get outta here, Nick," he ordered, his tone serious but with just enough playfulness to not upset the man.

One look at the man standing behind Tony and Nick understood why. "You know, you're lucky I let you talk to me— _your boss_ —like that. I should fire you," he teased.

"But you're too smart to do that," Tony replied, teasing the man right back.

Nick smiled and turned back towards the two men before exiting. "Everything okay?"

"It will be," Tony said. "We're gonna get it figured out."

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Nick." Tony made sure the door was closed tightly behind his boss then turned to Jethro. He softened his voice, all the humor gone. "What happened?"

Jethro shook his head back and forth and mouthed 'I don't know.' He knew if he tried to speak or repeat what his CO had told him or explain things in any way that he'd lose it. He was beginning to regret showing up at the gym. Now he was stuck in a building full of strangers, interrupting Tony's work day and he couldn't even explain to the man what was going on.

Tony stepped closer, wrapped his arms around Jethro and pulled him into a tight hug. After spending only a few short seconds in the loving embrace, Jethro's shoulders started shuddering and then his entire body started shaking.

Tony simply held on tighter and let his shirt soak up Jethro's silent tears as any shred of hope of salvaging Jethro's career faded away. Without the man even saying anything, Tony knew it was over.

It didn't take long for Jethro to pull himself together again. Tony grabbed some paper towels, wet them and handed them to Jethro to wipe his face then opened his locker and grabbed his duffle.

"Come on," Tony said, "let's go."

Jethro followed Tony without question, as if he were on autopilot, a mix of trusting the man and simply not caring what happened to him anymore taking over. They walked past the bank of cardio equipment and several people working out on the free weights to the front desk.

"Hey, Megan, will you do me a monstrous favor and cancel the rest of my day, please?"

"Sure, Tony."

"Thanks, you're the best!"

After making sure Jethro was still following, Tony continued on out the door to his Mustang in the parking lot.

"Hop in," Tony said, opening the passenger door for Jethro. "Buckle up."

Tony slid in behind the wheel and shot a worried glance at Jethro as the car roared to life. He patted the man's thigh as he drove, happy to see a little bit of life returning to his friend’s eyes. After a short drive, Tony pulled into a nice apartment complex and parked his car. The two men got out and Tony once again took Jethro's hand and led him up to his apartment.

"Have a seat on the couch," Tony said. "I'll make us some coffee."

"You've got a nice place here," Jethro said quietly as he settled on the black, Italian leather couch.

The sound of the man's voice caught Tony off guard. Other than whispering his name, it was the first time he'd spoken since he'd showed up at the gym an hour earlier. "Thanks," he replied with a gentle smile. "Do you take your coffee black?"

"Yeah, thank you."

Tony made Jethro a cup then doctored up a cup for himself and joined Jethro on the couch. "Alright, talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Jethro took a sip of his coffee then put it on the end table, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "My CO said they were impressed with how much my knee had improved," he started, "but he said it wasn't enough and the doc wasn’t sure how much more it would heal."

"Okay."

"They offered me a medical discharge or a different position in the Corps which, I didn't ask but I'm sure means a desk job. I can't do a desk job, Tony."

"I couldn't either," Tony agreed sympathetically. "After all you’ve done for your country, they can't give you any more time?"

Jethro shook his head. "I can appeal their decision but it wouldn't do any good." His breathing deepened slightly and Tony quickly realized he was starting to get distraught again. "It's over, Tony. My job, my career. I have nothing left. What am I supposed to do now?"

Tony threw an arm across Jethro's shoulders and tugged him closer, pressing a soothing kiss to his temple. "I don't know, but we'll figure it out. I meant it when I said you're not alone anymore. I'm here for you, Jethro."

"Thank you, Tony," Jethro said. "I really mean it. You've really been a friend to me through all of this." He lowered his voice and let it crack under with the brutal honesty he was displaying as he continued. "I don't know where I would've gone if it hadn't been for you."

"Don't mention it," Tony said. "You'd do the same for me."

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

**_Six Months Later_ **

Tony shifted his weight back and forth from foot to foot, trying to see around the mob of people in front of him. He raised up on his tiptoes and tried to look over the crowd but there were too many tall people for him to be able to see anything.

As the groups around him met up with loved ones, he weaseled his way closer to the secure area of the airport, watching as the last group of people deplaned. His heart swelled and his smiled widened so much it almost hurt when he saw the familiar face in the crowd.

"Jethro!" he called, waving excitedly as the man approached.

"Tony," Jethro replied, dropping his duffle and hugging the man. "Man, I've missed you," he said, lifting Tony off the ground and kissing him.

"Same here," Tony replied, hugging Jethro just as tightly. "I'm glad you're home and if you ever leave again, I'm going with you."

"No complaints from me."

The two released their embrace and grabbed hands instead. They bypassed the baggage claim area and made their way out to short term parking where Tony's Mustang was waiting.

"So, how was Georgia? Did FLET-C get you all edu-ma-cated?"

"Georgia was hot and humid and FLET-C was pretty much just like you would think a federal law enforcement training agency would be. I'm happy to be home."

"When do you have to report to NCIS?"

"Not till Monday."

"So we have six whole days to ourselves?"

"Mm-hmm. Do you have something planned?"

"Maybe," Tony answered cryptically with the smile Jethro had fallen in love with the first time he'd seen it. "You up for a three hour drive?"

"Three hour drive?"

"Yep! Three hour drive and a five night stay."

"I'm in," Jethro said without hesitation, "as long as we can stop for coffee first."

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

Jethro stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel over his freshly washed hair but wearing nothing else. Stretched out on the bed in the room, lying on his belly with his perfectly muscled butt exposed was Tony. The man's chin was resting in his palm and his attention was on an old movie playing on the TV. After an early morning at work before picking Jethro up at the airport and a three hour drive, he was more than ready to relax.

Jethro let the towel fall to the floor and climbed into bed with Tony, straddling the man before grabbing his butt.

Tony rested his head against the bed, looking back at his lover. "I have a surprise for you," he told the man.

"Yeah?"

Tony hummed and nodded.

"Are you gonna tell me what it is?" Jethro asked.

Tony continued grinning at the man. "No," he answered. "You gotta put all those investigator classes to use and figure it out." He reached under the pillow his elbows had been propped on, grabbed the tube of lube and handed it back to the man.

Jethro growled in approval. He loved the little games Tony played, and Tony always had something fun going on. "Well, let's see," he said, slipping a hand between Tony's legs and palming his cock, "you're definitely excited," he observed.

Tony lifted his hips slightly, giving Jethro more room to play. "Mm-hmm," he confirmed.

After playing with Tony's dick for a little while and letting his own dick grow, Jethro let his fingers trail up to the man's ball sack and get Tony even more excited before he slipped his fingers between his lover's butt cheeks and found his hole already stretched and lubed.

"I like this surprise," Jethro said approvingly.

"I thought you might," Tony said. His head was still resting on his pillow, tilted back so he could watch his lover. His movie was long forgotten.

Jethro's tongue peeked out of his mouth as he rubbed his cock against Tony's hole with one hand and squirted a small amount of lube on himself with the other. They’d stopped using condoms when things had turned really serious, shortly before Jethro had left for Georgia.

Tony's eyes slipped closed at the overwhelming pleasure. As soon as Jethro pushed inside, Tony's mouth popped open with a low pleasurable moan.

"My first case," Jethro said, "how'd I do?"

"You figured it out in no time at all," Tony answered approvingly. "You're gonna be a kick ass investigator but that just proves what I already knew."

Jethro flattened himself out on top of Tony, Tony turned his head and the two started kissing as they made love, completely losing themselves in the moment and each other. Jethro wrapped his arms around Tony, holding their bodies close together while Tony started moving his hips in rhythm with Jethro's, rubbing his erection against the bed and then rocking himself back against his lover.

As their connection deepened and the excitement grew, both men barreled closer and closer to the point of no return and neither tried to stop themselves. Jethro wedged his hand between Tony's body and the mattress, lifted his body just enough to wrap his fingers around the man's cock and helped him reach completion, almost at the same time as he did before they collapsed together on the bed, breathing heavy but never feeling more satisfied.

As darkness fell over the condo just outside Ocean City, Maryland, the one that one of Tony's clients had let him use for the week, the two men separated, got themselves cleaned up and settled into the bed, now missing the fluffy down comforter which they'd have to wash the following day.

Tony scooted right up next to Jethro, rested his hand on the man's chest and kissed the man's shoulder as they relaxed in the dark master suite. Jethro wrapped both arms around him and tugged him even closer, enjoying being next to his lover again after weeks of being in Georgia, attending the training program that would prepare him to be an NCIS agent. Thanks to his time spent as a military police officer, his CO had opened a door for him in NCIS, giving him a chance to work closely with the Navy and Marine Corps, doing something he'd already proven to be good at.

"Do you think you're gonna be happy at NCIS?" Tony asked quietly.

"I think so," Jethro answered, stroking Tony's back. "My boss sounds like he might be a bit of a hard ass but rumor is he's fair. He's transferring in from Pendleton which is why I don't have to start till Monday. We'll both be newbies."

"Well, based on the determination you've shown while we've been working on your knee, I know you'll make it through just fine. I'm sure it won't be easy but you're a United States fucking Marine, Jethro Gibbs. You're tough, you're strong, you can do this. Whenever you need someone to remind you of that, I'll be there."

"Thanks, Tony."

"Anything for you, Jethro."

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

Jethro and Tony walked hand in hand down the boardwalk, completely unashamed about who they were or who they'd chosen to be with. The night sky was illuminated by the bright lights from fun shops and stands and the handful of carnival rides that drew in hundreds of tourists each day. Being together in the almost magical environment had both young men feeling high on life.

"You were a pretty good sniper in the Corps, weren't you?" Tony asked.

"Pretty good," Jethro confirmed, too humble to inform his lover that he was one of the best. "Why?"

"Let's see how many pop cans you can hit," Tony said, dragging the man over to one of the booths and quickly shelling out some cash.

"These are kid games, Tony," Jethro grumbled, but he was clearly amused.

"Jethro Gibbs, are you a chicken?" Tony taunted.

"Never," Jethro growled, grabbing the toy rifle and taking aim.

A handful of shots later, Tony was choosing a stuffed prize from the shelf where the largest animals sat while Jethro watched proudly. With an oversized, funky colored monkey sitting on Tony's shoulders, the two continued on their way, hand in hand once again.

"Will you ride the Ferris wheel with me?" Tony asked. "No big deal if you don't wanna."

"Why wouldn't I want to?" Jethro asked.

Tony shrugged. "I dunno. A lot of people don't like 'em."

"I'll ride it with you," Jethro said. "Then maybe we can look for something to eat?"

"I like that idea." The two headed for the line for the Ferris wheel at a leisurely pace, neither of them in any hurry. "Hey, Jethro? I've been wanting to talk to you about something."

Jethro's stomach clenched in fear. "Something bad?"

"No, not at all," Tony quickly assured the man. "I was just thinking, now that you're settled and completing your transition to civilian life, maybe we could talk about us? I really like you, Jethro," he all but mumbled.

A school boyish grin appeared on Jethro's face as he looked over at Tony. "Are you gettin' shy on me?" he asked.

Tony's reddening cheeks gave him away but he refused to admit it. "No!"

"Yes you are and it's adorable." Jethro stopped them in the middle of the boardwalk, tugged Tony's chin his way and kissed him before continuing on towards the ride Tony wanted to get on. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I dunno."

"You wanted to talk about it, let's talk about it," Jethro said encouragingly.

"I don't wanna scare you."

"I'd be impressed if you managed to scare me," Jethro said with a chuckle.

"Okay, I was thinking I'd like to come home to you each night and wake up next to you every morning," Tony replied cautiously.

Jethro stopped and stared at Tony in disbelief. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tony answered with a shrug. "I mean, I know it's only been like seven months but I feel like we've been through a lot together." Tony lowered his voice and the hint of desperation in it grew as he tried to make the man understand. "There's something between us, Jethro, and I can't put it into words but I can feel it inside me and I've never felt anything like it before." The two had grown incredibly close, incredibly fast. There was no denying that.

"Is that why I'm seeing fear in your eyes?" Jethro whispered.

"The fear is because whatever's going on between us is getting stronger every day and I may know what I want but I don't know what you want and I can't imagine losing you. That scares the shit outta me."

Jethro brushed his fingers down the side of Tony's face, looking from his eyes to his mouth and back to his eyes again. "You're not gonna lose me, Tony. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't talked to me in the diner all those months ago and I can't imagine life without you. Georgia was hard enough and we talked on the phone every day. I'm scared too but I've never been one to let fear stop me and I don't think you are either."

Tony's sigh of relief was audible and a smile appeared on his face as he relaxed. "So, does that mean you'll get a place with me?"

"I do need to find somewhere to live," Jethro pointed out, the playfulness returning.

"My lease is up at the end of next month. I haven't signed on for another year yet."

"You wanna move outta your place?"

Tony shrugged. "I wanna choose somewhere together. I think it’ll feel more like ours that way, instead of just mine. We can stay at my place till then, if you want to."

Jethro smiled and nodded. "I want to. I'd like that. I think this'll be good for us."

"I think so too."

**NCIS | NCIS | NCIS | NCIS**

Tony moaned in pleasure as he was drawn closer to Jethro's naked body in the early hours of the morning. The sun would be making an appearance soon but after spending all night up making love and getting reacquainted after Jethro's time in Georgia, the two were just settling in to finally get some sleep.

As they drifted off to sleep, the thought occurred to both men that their week in Ocean City had turned into a celebration of another sort. After their talk on the boardwalk the previous evening, the trip was now a way to kick off a more permanent situation for both of them, a life with less fear and uncertainty and more peace of mind and security, a life spent together.

**The End**


End file.
